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Wedge - Cataby
Report by Col Mc
"After a few weeks off the bikes, Col McC called a ride for Lano and beyond. With the expected 30 deg c temps, riding near the coast was perhaps a good call. We had 10 players, including new bloke BMWCraig and Col and Roley B just along for a quick play before other commitments. After a quick riders meeting, warning of the dangers of motorbikes and riding the Lano-Wedge track, we took off with Col McC out front and Roley out the back in his sweep role. To give Col and Roley as much riding time as possible, we decided to ride non stop to Wedge and the group seemed to moving along nicely, albeit with quite a lot of dust. A regroup at the 2nd sentry post seen 4 of the group there and the rest no where to be seen. After a few minutes Neil appeared to inform us that newby BMWCraig had gone down hard and was not happy. We all went back to find BMWCraig's bike looking very second hand and the pilot looking a bit shell shocked as to what had happened. The reports from the riders behind had him clipping along no problem, then his bike was cart wheeling forward. From the damage to his front rim, it seems he probably hit a rock hard and that stopped his momentum and all the weight going forward had him over the bars. There was no way he could continue, as the bike was a mess and from the photos, so was his knee. Hope BMWCraig and bike are back up and running soon. So Col and Roley stayed to escort BMWCraig back to Lano, like a pair of decent CQ blokes would. The group of 7 now, headed off to Wedge, where a quick break was taken before heading back for the Cataby loop. At the turn off we also lost Hayden, who also had some other business in the arvo and we were down to 6. So we headed off towards the fence line and the turn off for Cataby. There has been some work going on up there, as it looks like something large has been through there and widened and flatten some of the track. The run out to Cataby was a bit boggier and softer than of late, but all 6 players made it with no problems and even with the boggy stuff, it was huge smiles all round. 4 of the 6 riders had not ridden that tack and all agreed it is a blast. A quick refuel of men and machines at the servo was had, although you had to scoff the food down quick before the biblical plague of flies mugged you for it!!! The road and gravel track sections were no better than usual and thankfully we were rewarded with the proposed time trial section being in top condition. Again it has been worked on extensively recently, as if somebody knows what we have in mind next week and has graded it for us! We then headed straight back to the off road car-park, almost non stop. Shame the 4wd's were out in force, along with several other users including quads, cars and bikes, but we all got back in one piece and with big smile all round, especially those from the Powerlines posse! Quick rant here. Wanna know why i am not bothered about riding with young lads on unregistered MX bikes and why its no wonder they are in danger of loosing riding areas? We had several instances of coming across groups of bikes coming the other way. On 2 occasions the bikes with lights stayed to the left and gave some consideration that there could be another road user coming the other way, whilst the wannabe Chad Reed on an MX bike took the tight line (my side of the road thanks) in trying to overtake their mates. What a pair of loser's. You wannabe Chad Reed, go to the MX track and try it there. So a decent run today, with plenty of dust, but a smallish group meant the pace was by everybody good and the 6 who stayed til the end all had a ball. No question on SOTD, as BMWCraig's stack would get it on the majority of CQ rides. ROTD for Col McC for keeping things moving in the right direction and at a pace that everyone was happy with and that meant we rode as a group and not a pack of individuals.  The lads having a break at Cataby.  Check that leg out - maybe thats a lesson in wearing knee protection.  A broken bike after a decent stack.  More damage.  Now this a pic of BMWCraig after the stack - why is he so happy. He said he had lived in Perth all of his life and never been to Wedge. He still hasn't made it!! |
